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DATE: April 3, 2020
CORRECTION: This is a corrected messaged. The bolded sentence below replaces a sentence in the original release. Patients are not restricted from leaving the facility.
CONTACT: Doug Bear, Joint Information Center Manager at dbear@co.kitsap.wa.us.
Emergency Operations Center hard at work to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19 outbreak
(KITSAP COUNTY, Wash.) – A coalition of local agencies and government under the leadership of the Kitsap Public Health District, is working together through Kitsap County’s Emergency Operations Center (KCEOC) to support the robust local response to the COVID-19 health crisis.
Among the current priorities are final preparations for locations to use as isolation and quarantine facilities. The sites serve anyone in the community – including first responders and healthcare workers – who need this type of specialized temporary housing. The facilities are not yet open to the public. Officials continue to work on several elements including staffing, safety and security before the sites can open.
“Our primary goal is to limit the disease’s spread in order limit the impact on our health care system, which will help save lives” said Elizabeth Klute, Director of Kitsap County’s Department of Emergency Management.
Toward that end, the facilities are being set-up with a focus on the safety of the surrounding community as well as of the people staying in the sites. Seabeck Conference Center and Port Orchard's Pilgrim Firs Camp and Conference Center are the county's first locations for isolation and quarantine (I & Q).
The key difference between isolation and quarantine is that isolation is for people who are sick. Quarantine is for people who may have been exposed to a disease but are NOT currently sick. Persons staying in isolation and quarantine at the sites will be kept apart.
Admission to the facilities is voluntary. Admission to the I & Q sites requires a referral from first responders or a healthcare agency, healthcare professional or public health official. Admitted residents are medically monitored and remain at the facility until they meet specific release requirements. Security staff are on-site 24/7.
In addition to fulfilling unmet housing needs for isolation and quarantine, the sites may provide space for assessment and recovery to house medically stable individuals recovering from COVID-19 and help free valuable hospital beds for those who need it most. Officials are implementing measures to ensure adequate separation between the facilities’ distinct functions. The facilities are for those people who do not have other suitable housing options, including those who want to protect family members who are at higher risk for severe illness.
The I&Q sites are part of a broader strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Public health officials urge Kitsap residents to continue staying at home as much as possible to protect their health and help prevent COVID-19 from spreading. “We know social distancing measures are disruptive to people’s lives and livelihoods, but we also know these measures will slow the spread of this illness if we remain diligent in our efforts. We appreciate every Kitsap resident who is doing their part by staying home, and we are grateful to the health care workers and first responders putting their own health at risk each day to protect our community,” Kitsap Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Susan Turner said. “This is an uncertain and scary time for many. Please continue to be kind and helpful to your neighbors as we work together to overcome these challenges.”
For more information about Kitsap County’s response to COVID-19, see the EOC’s website at kcowa.us/covid19resources. People without Internet access can also get access to resources and information by calling the state’s COVID-19 hotline at (800)-525-0127.
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